Caster



Dec. 14, 194s.

J. G. MARESCO CASTER Filed Dec. s1, 194e /A/l/EA/oe. 1705626' /74K5scowww nimm/@f l Patented Dec. 14, 1948 UN I TED STATES PATE F EASTER.

Joseph ;Gf.l.Maresco, Bronx, N. Y.

ApplicatonDecernber 31, 1946, Serial No. 719,458`

1 Claim. 1. This invention relates: provements in casters.

More particularly, this inventionpronoses` ay new caster which inone position isad'apted'ftoA support'an object in a stationary position inlwhich the object may-be used,- and in anotherl position is adapted to support the object so that it may be easily shifted. This may be better understood by realizingthatthe rollers of conventional casters always engage the floor or ground while supportingobjectsnandzwitnthis arrangement the articles are not securely held; and may easily shift and move. While theold conventional type casters is satisfactory for many articles such as chairs and other piece-s offturniture, it is highly unsatisfactory. for otherl articles; for: example, ladders, welding sets, eto, Ifthe conventional casters are used on a ladder, the ladder is insecuresince its bottommay roll away while. the

ladder isbeing` used. The same is true. of a welding set'. This is.also-.true=-of hea-Vy. pieces of furniture.

With the new caster, in accordance with this invention, the article, such as the ladder or welding set, or heavy piece of furniture, is held immovable in working position in so far as it is not resting on the rollers of the casters. Yet when it is desired to move the article around it is merely neces-sary to adjust the article so as to adjust the position of the casters and then the rollers will enage the iioor or ground and the article may be easily moved about.

Another object of this invention resides in characterizing the new caster by the fact that it includes a casing and a roller mounted on the casing a short distance above its bottom so that normally the roller does not engage the ground. It is proposed that the casing be provided with a top weight supporting surface for attachment on the bottom of an article which is to be supported. It is further proposed to provide the casing with a bottom curved camlike surface for resting on the floor or ground for normally supporting the article in a stationary working position and or tilting said casing when said article is tilted for lowering and engaging -said roller against the iioor or ground for receiving the weight of said article so that it may be easily moved.

An important feature of this invention resides in the fact that the new and improved caster is no larger than present day casters and that it may be easily attached to any article to be supported and which is to operate as already made Clear.

A still' further object ofthe invention resides in constructing the` casingr of the caster: inA a certain way and in associating theVA roller with the casing in a certain. way so as2 to produce anexceptionally simple construction which` may bemanufactured and sold at a lowf cost'.

For further comprehension of the invention, and ofthe objects and'advantages thereof,- reference willbe had to the following description and accompanying draw-ing, and4 to' the appended claim'in whichthe various novelfeatures ofthe invention are more particularly set# forth:

In the` accompanying drawing forming a material` part ofl thi'sdisclosur'e:

Fig;` l5 anside elevational:` View 4olf a; caster constructed in. accordance with this invention, a portion of the casing thereof 'beingbroken away to disclose interior parts.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional` vie taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. r

Fig. 3` is ay bottom viewl of the-casterl shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating the caster in a tilted position in which the roller is engaging the ground.

The new caster, in accordance with this invention, includes a casing I0 and a roller II mounted on said casing a short distance above its bottom. The casing Ill is provided with a top weight supporting surface I2 for attachment on the bottom of an article which is to be supported. To facilitate attaching the casing I0 in position it is provided with flanges I3 having openings I4 for supporting bolts or screws, not illustrated on the drawing. The casing I 0 is also provided with a bottom curved cam-like surface I6 for resting on the floor or ground for normally supporting said article in a stationary working position and for facilitating the tilting of the casing I0 when said article is tilted for lowering and engaging the roller II against the floor or ground, as illustrated in Fig. 4, so that the roller II receives the weight of the article which may then be easily moved about.

The casing I0 has side walls I8 and a bottom wall I9 completely enclosing a space 2l! within the casing. This space 20 opens up at the top of the casing. The roller II may be engaged into position within said casing by placing it in through the open top of the space 20. The roller II is mounted within the casing I0 in a position so as to have a small edge portion thereof projecting through an opening 22 formed in the walls of the casing I0. This opening 22 is formed in the junction of the side walls I8 and the bottom wall I9 of the casing. The roller II is supported in position on a shaft 23. This shaft 23 is mounted between opposed side walls I8 on the casing. The shaft 23 has a threaded end 24 which threadedly engages a threaded opening 25 formed in one of the side walls I8. The other end of the shaft 23 engages in an opening 20 formed in the opposite side wall I3. This latter end of the shaft 23 is provided with a slot 2l' for a screw driver or other turning implement. A lock nut 28 is threadedly engaged on the threaded end 24 of the shaft 23 and abuts the 4 inside face of one of the side walls I8 for se curely locking the shaft 23 in position. I

The operation of the new caster may be understood from the following:

The caster is intended to be mounted upon the bottom of an article which is normally to be supported in a stationary working position. It is secured in place by engaging the top weight supporting surface I2 against the vbottom of the article, and then engaging fastening elements through the openings I4 into the article. In the normal working position of the article the bottom curved cam-like surface I6 rests on theffioor or ground. The roller I I`is a slight distance above the floor or ground. For this reason the article will be relatively firmly held in position and will not shift or move around. When it is desired to move the article it is merely necessary to tilt the article forwards, which may be easily done because of the curved cam-like surface IB. By tilting the article, the casing I0 is tilted until it reaches the position shown in Fig. 4. In this position the roller Il rests on the floor or ground. Now the article may be easily moved about on the roller II.

One or more of the casters may be used for `supporting an article, depending upon condi- 4 preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by vUnited States Letters Patent is:

A caster, comprising a casing, a roller mounted on said casing a shortdistance above its bottom, said casing having a top weight supporting surface for attachment on the bottom of an article which is to be supported, and said casing also having a bottom curved cam-like surface for resting on the oor or ground for normally supporting said article in a stationary working position and for tilting said casing when said article is tilted for lowering and engaging said roller against the oor or ground for receiving the weight of said article so that it may be easily moved about, said casing having side walls and a bottom wall completely enclosing a space within said casing, and said roller being mounted within said casing and having a small edge portion projecting through an opening in the walls of said casing.

- 'JOSEPH G. MARESCO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,012,404 Means Dec. 19, 1911 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 7,432 Great Britain 1889 407,028 Germany Dec. 10, 1924 

